I usually use dhcp to connect OpenBSD to the internet and haven't had to concern myself with much more than hostname.if at least for a long time anyway.

ATM, I have a "router box" that I wish to use as a gateway to the internet for my desktop.
This is the topology:

Internet<==========>vr2@router@vr1<============>fx p0@desktop

Very simple.
As a minimum, I am able to plug my Internet (from my modem) into any of these adapters and get the web. A simple "dhcp" on a line in the relevant hostname.if file sees to that. :]

The next simple step in connectivity is to get the route from vr1 to fxp0 working, at least at the IP address level.
Here are my hostname.if files:
hostname.vr1 >
inet 192.168.255.250 255.255.255.0
hostname.fxp0 >
inet 192.168.255.0 255.255.255.0

My experience on that other O.S. tells me this is enough to do a ping test.
Unfortunately in this case it doesn't work.
I have tried with a known good cable. I can see the adapter lights at both ends flashing @ about the speed of the default ping packets.

Please let me know what to do.
As to be expected with OpenBSD it will be my fault.
Still I need to take precautions.
I have mercenaries waiting on the tarmac. The flight plan is for Alberta.
These guys are costing me a fortune and are starting to get antsy.

Given the subnet mask 255.255.255.0 specified, the following two addresses cannot be used for specific interfaces:

192.168.255.0/24 -- subnet address

192.168.255.255/24 -- subnet's broadcast address

Any other address between 192.168.255.1 -- 192.168.255.254 can be used for individual interfaces.

I guess this is one of the differences between that other O.S. and OpenBSD.
I could use x.x.x.255 (and I suspect x.x.x.0 also) for an adapter if I wanted to.
Can you tell me what the purpose of reserving the x.x.x.0 address is? Is it because it is effectively masked by the netmask?

I guess this is one of the differences between that other O.S. and OpenBSD.

The information I was conveying is standard IP addressing knowledge supported by various RFC's. I don't know what other operating system you are referring to, but 192.168.255.0/24 should not be an acceptable IP address in any environment.

Quote:

Can you tell me what the purpose of reserving the x.x.x.0 address is?

It is not a question of x.x.x.0 by itself; it is a question of x.x.x.0 coupled with a 255.255.255.0 subnet mask. There are subnets where x.x.x.0 may be completely legal to address a specific interface. The fundamental issue is where all host bits within an overall IP address are set to zero as this defines the subnet itself. It is common for routing tables to retain subnet addresses in this form in order to route packets. For more information, study RFC 1812:

...however, note that there are some formatting errors where superscripts (exponents) are not rendered correctly. If you do the math on pencil & paper while reading, these errors will be readily apparent.

This paper may seem a bit dated, but the fundamentals it covers are still correct. It is good at providing context to the problems IP addressing is attempting to solve.

The high-level address is the broadcast address ... and while broadcast IP is pretty much a dead-thing-from-before-the-Internet, broadcast may be enabled and used, so the broadcast address is still reserved.

The high-level address is the broadcast address ... and while broadcast IP is pretty much a dead-thing-from-before-the-Internet, broadcast may be enabled and used, so the broadcast address is still reserved.

Thanks sport.
I did notice that OpenBSD does use the default broadcast address - ifconfig shows that.
I expect that Theo will peruse RFCs night and day to find obscure ways to torture me.
And so he should.

Best wishes.

BTW, I am almost ready for my idjoot questions on myname ...
Oh, and why I don't have a route through my gateway ...